Signboard



G. B. CLEVELAND 1,639,129

SIGNBOARD Filed July 8, 1926 @Hom w1 J/ Patented aug. 1e, i927.

GEORGE'BOWEN CLEVELAND, OIE MOBLE, ALABMA.

si'GNBoARn.

rAppiicafnm flied July s,

This invention relates to display devices for advertising signs and thelike and has special reference to a. sign board.

One important object of the invention is '5 to provide an improved formof sign board having means on each face movable by air currents andforming a device for catching the eye of a passing person so that hisattention is directed to the matter of the advertising or the like onthe board.

A second important object of the invention is to provide a device ofthisclass so arranged that the wind operated part will work with the windblowing in any direction towards the board.

With the above and other objects in view as will be hereinafterapparent, the invention-consists in general of certa-in novel details ofconstruction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the acioinpanying drawings and specifically clainied.

ln the accompanying drawings like characters of reference indicate likeparts in the several views, and: A

Figure 1 is a face view of a sign board equipped in accordance with thisinvention.

Figure 2 is an edge View thereof.

Figure is a vertical section through the board and'showing the bearingarrangement for the wind wheel shaft.

1n the embodiment of the invention as here shown a sign board 1() isprovided with a centrally disposed opening 11 wherein is mounted asleeve 12 provided with .a flange 13 for the securing bolts 14.Internally this flange is provided with a centrally disposed annular rib15 forming a stop against which rests the outer races 16 of the ballbearings. These outer races are forced into place in the usual manner sothat once in position they can onlyv be removed by force. These bearingshave balls 17 and are preferably of the type known as combined radialand thrust bearings and through the inner races 1S passes a shaft 19provided with collars 2O engaging said inner races. VAt 21 on each sideof the board 10 is a wind wheel forined'from a. square sheet slit fromeach corner toward the middle and bent over after the fashion of thewell known toy pin wheel. Each wheel has a central opening for the shaft19 and the four corners which are bent over rest on the end of the shaftand are secured by a screwp22. One

1926. Serial No. 121,205.

wheel is preferably right handedV and the otherv left handed.

The hoard (so called) may be of wood, iron or other suitable materialand the wind wheels are also made from any suitable material eithernaturally. impervious to water or suitablypainted or coated for thispurpose. Preferably the van'es or slats of these windmills are paintedof different colors so that such colors will blend when the windmill isrunning or they may be painted to produce annular bands of color whenrunning.

Obviouslythe size of the board may be such as to suit the purpose forwhich it is intended and the relative proportions of the wind wheels andboard may be varied at will without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

One wheel being right, handed and the other left handed ensures therevolving of `the wheels and shaft no matter in which diret-,tion thewind blows. Obviously if the wind blows perpendicularly against eitherside of the board the wheel against which the wind strikes will effectthe revolution of the shaft and revolve the other wheel. If the windstrikes the board. parallel tothe fiat surfaces (against the edge of theboard) the effect on the concavely presented blades willcause'revolution because, one wheel being right handed and the otherleft, the blades on both wheels will have their concave sides presentedon tlie saine side (both above or both below) of the axis. If bothwheels .were of the same kind one wheel would tend to carry the shaftone way and the other in the opposite direction.

There has thus been provided a simple and efficient device of the kinddescribed and for the purpose specified. It is obvious that minorchanges may be made in the form and construction of the inventionwithout departing from the material spirit thereof. It is not,therefore, desired to confine the invention to the eXact form hereinshown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properlycome within the scope claimed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed'as new, is:

1. In a device for displaying advertising i matter, a bill boardconsisting of a sheet of material having opposite surfaces for displayof advertising matter and having an ggg 1,639,129

opening therethrough for a shaft, a shaft extending through the openingand provided With means to reStrain the shaft from longitudinal movementin Said opening, and Wind Wheels fixed on the ends of said shaft, one

ot Said Wind Wheels being right handed and' the other left handed, saidWind Wheels heing' oi relatively small diameter in com* parison to thedisplay surfaces of the bill board and positioned to rotate Withintheboundaries ot said display surfaces.

2. In combination, a sign board having an opening therein, a hearingsleeve extending GEORGE BOWEN CLEVELAND.

